Letters to the editor

Monday

Jun 25, 2007 at 11:30 PM

Kesselman would have us be communists

Dr. Henry Kesselman visualizes a Democratic party that adopts the concept that "each of us is our brother's keeper," so no child should ever go hungry or lack proper health care. ("'Brother's keeper' rule should have place in politics," June 19).

His kindred spirit, Karl Marx, expressed this thought in perhaps a more sophisticated manner, "From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs."

Can you imagine an intrusive, efficient, cost-effective government attempting to monitor every child to ensure that he or she does not miss a "Happy Meal," or that a parent does not randomly miss a health insurance premium? Sadly, history demonstrates conclusively that those countries adopting this type of economic policy end up as basket cases where everyone is generally poor and miserable.

Dr. Kesselman objects to competition, which is how those with ambition and excellence are separated from those with no ambition and mediocrity. He praises instead the concept of cooperation but ignores the economic reality that any successful competitor in any field of business must effectively cooperate with numerous people and other businesses to achieve the desired profits.

The economic foundation of the prosperous American society is the competitive model which rewards those who best provide consumers with the products they want at the price they are willing to pay.

ERIC HOGAN

Tybee Island, GA

Hubbub over 'hot gas' ignores winter time

The paranoia about $3 gasoline seems to have no limit, as far as the public and the trial lawyers are concerned. The article in the Savannah Morning News (June 21) reporting federal lawsuits about "hot gas" is a case in point. Has it not occurred to anybody that if gas above 60 degrees is a "rip-off," then cold gasoline below 60 degrees is a bargain?

Much of the country has more months below 60 than it has above 60 -- by a good bit. It hardly ever gets more than 40 degrees above 60 in summer, but gets as much as 100 degrees below 60 in winter.

Further, gasoline is shipped either in underground pipelines or large containers, and at the gas station is stored underground where it is insulated from rapid temperature change, so this whole subject isn't worth the ink writing about it, much less a "class-action lawsuit."

By the way, $3 gasoline is cheap. When I first had a car, it would have taken ten first-class postage stamps to buy a gallon of gas (30 cents), and now the gas price has gone down so it costs only seven first-class stamps. Which proves that "Big Oil" is taking better care of us than the good old U. S. Government Post Office.

ART WOLTERS

Savannah

A call to OCS students

Former and future eighth grade students of Oglethorpe Charter School, please contact Ms. Malone with your ideas concerning how we can help the families of the nine lost Charleston firefighters.

We need to act quickly. Be sure to leave your ideas and e-mail address.

ANNE MALONE

Isle of Hope

Troops must be allowed to put out fire

The tragic deaths of nine firefighters killed trying to put out the warehouse fire in South Carolina made me think of our brave men and women risking their lives fighting in Iraq. Just like the firefighters, our troops are battling the fire of Radical Islam. Just like the warehouse fire, terrorists start small, but can spread into a world wide raging fire. If not controlled and put out the fire of radicals will spread and threaten everyone's safety. The liberals and Democrats (one in the same) want us to pull our firefighters (troops) out of Iraq. Too many lives are being lost. Should we stop sending firefighters into harms way to stop fires? Just let things burn. It might go out. It might not spread to the next building or forest. It might not cross the state line. There's a river between Georgia and Florida. If those fires were left to burn all of Georgia and Florida could be burned. There's an ocean between us and the Middle East. Flames seem to jump across barriers. So it is with the terrorists. If we don't contain the raging fire of Radical Islam where it burns the hottest, we will soon feel the heat closer to home. Yes, men and women are being lost fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, but just think of the losses if that fire is not contained. If those firefighters had not risked (and lost) their lives fighting the fire in Charleston then how many lives would have been lost as the fire spread through that great Southern city? Fires must be fought before they spread. And if they spread, more resources must be used to help put them out. Troops and firefighters will be lost, but what will the losses be if those sacrifices aren't made? JAMES HUGHES Savannah

Stateside dad deserves kudos

What a mean-spirited letter from Beth A. Kinstler about the father that is keeping the home fires burning while mom is serving in Iraq ("What about Army moms?" June 23). She missed the whole point of the article. It was Father's Day for crying out loud.

She knows nothing of this family and how the circumstances came about that this article was written. Yes, women have been doing just what this man is doing for decades and it has been in the paper, television and special news events about the military wives, but there are men out there doing the same, and their story deserves a place in our hearts too.

Those accolades that Ms. Kinstler referred to were from his wife of 20 years, not the newspaper. I am sorry if she has never received a thank you or accolades from anyone.

Oh, by the way, we witnessed this couple renew their vows today on their 20th anniversary with their four children present.

Yes, she will go back to Iraq and may God surround her with his shield of protection.

ELLEN LUTES

Savannah

Beware socialized medicine

This is to all who think universal health care is the next great program in government spending. This happened to my family in England, the home of "universal health care."

My nephew who is 13, dislocated his knee, the knee cap was twisted completely out. His mother called an ambulance, one hour later it arrived.

She was told, "This is not life threatening." They helped her child into her car and left.

When she was seen at the emergency room (I don't know how long that took) he was made comfortable and sent home with an appointment with a knee doctor eight days later.

This is the kind of medical care the Democrats want to force on us. Will these same politicians use the same health care for themselves? I think not!

Think hard and long be for you put a democrat in the White House, or you could be standing in line for your next doctors appointment. This happens all the time in England.

My mother and father died because of this "wonderful health care"

JEAN KILSHAW

Tybee Island

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